2015-16 Premier League Season Preview: Manchester United
Welcome to theScore's 2015-16 preview of Manchester United. Transfer dealings, lineup projections, and everything else you need to know about the club's upcoming campaign.
Manchester United
It's time for Louis van Gaal to embark on his second season at Manchester United.
A summer transfer window in which United opened its checkbook time again, spending money like it's nothing, will see Memphis Depay, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Morgan Schneiderlin, Matteo Darmian, and Sergio Romero take the pitch at Old Trafford as the club looks to continue its revival under Van Gaal's guidance.
Simply put, there can be no excuse for another sub-standard season. United signed a number of its targets, addressing the issues that plagued the club in the previous campaign. David De Gea - for now - will be between the posts, Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin will feature in the midfield, and Depay should tally the goals that Radamel Falcao never could.
Moreover, the 3-5-2 formation, which Van Gaal flirted last season, is poised to be ditched altogether in favour a 4-3-3 that uses Wayne Rooney as a striker, a position he described as his "best."
Whether United has done enough to bridge the gap between itself and Chelsea remains to be seen, but the club should be one of the Premier League's supreme sides.
2014-15 Season
| Record (Points) | Finish | Goals For | Goals Against | Top Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-10-8 (70) | 4th | 62 | 37 | Wayne Rooney (12) |
Titles Won: None
On paper, Van Gaal's inaugural season was a success, as United's fourth-place finish marked an improvement on the prior campaign in which the club missed out on both the Champions League and the Europa League.
By United's standards, however, it was far from an ideal season.
The arrival of Angel Di Maria, whose £59.7-million transfer fee was a British record, triggered excitement, leading many to believe United was perhaps capable of competing for the Premier League title.
Such suggestions were quickly shot down by a 5-3 defeat at Leicester City.
Despite never veering far from the top four, and a 10-match undefeated streak between early November and early January, United generally looked like a shadow of the club it was not too long ago and was consistently rescued by De Gea, whose quick reflexes saved countless points.
Key Arrivals
- Matteo Darmian (from Torino)
- Memphis Depay (from PSV Eindhoven)
- Sergio Romero (on a free transfer)
- Morgan Schneiderlin (from Southampton)
- Bastian Schweinsteiger (from Bayern Munich)
United's activity in the summer transfer window has been marked by five big-name signings.
The first to arrive was Depay, whose reported £25-million transfer from PSV, where he notched 22 goals and five assists through 30 Eredivisie appearances, should bode well for a club that often struggled to find the back of the net last season.
Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin were then signed on the same day, players who can command the midfield and provide the necessary service to Depay.
Darmian was subsequently acquired to address the club's right-back issue, one that resulted in Antonio Valencia being forced to play out of position last season.
Last - and potentially least - Romero was brought in as a back-up 'keeper who should be able to compete for playing time with De Gea.
Key Departures
- Angel Di Maria (Paris Saint-Germain)
- Robin van Persie (Fenerbahce)
- Tom Thorpe (released)
Following another season of struggles and injuries, Van Persie made the move to Fenerbahce in July, bringing an end nearly three years at United.
His exit from the club was of little surprise given Van Gaal's desire to overhaul the squad, particularly as he notched only two goals in the second half of last season, missed over two months due to an ankle injury, and found himself as a scapegoat for the club's scoring woes.
However, Van Persie's departure pales in comparison to Di Maria's transfer to Paris Saint-Germain, who signed the skinny Argentinian for a reported £44.3 million less than one year after he joined United for a British record fee of £59.7 million.
Without Di Maria, United will lose a creative spark and will be left with a void that its new signings are expected to fill.
Projected Lineup (4-3-3)
David De Gea; Matteo Darmian, Daley Blind, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw; Ashley Young, Schweinsteiger, Ander Herrera; Juan Mata, Wayne Rooney, Memphis Depay
A master at dropping hints, Van Gaal has more or less indicated how United will take the pitch this season with a selection of words and preseason tactics.
Having openly stated that United will deploy a "more or less 4-3-3," expect to next to see Darmian, a natural right-back, replacing Valencia, a not-so-natural right-back. Meanwhile, the versatile Daley Blind will likely form a centre-back pairing with Jones, as was the case in the club's preseason tour of North America.
In the midfield, questions remain over how Schweinsteiger's inclusion will affect Ander Herrera, who was arguably United's top player last season. Both players should be included in the club's starting XI, but Herrera could be forced to abandon the defensive role he has embraced at Old Trafford.
The overhaul at United is reportedly taking a toll in front of goal, too, as Rooney is reportedly Van Gaal's first-choice striker for the season.
Player To Watch: Wayne Rooney
"I am ready for the season. I hope to score 20 or more goals again. If I am playing as a striker then I will be disappointed if I cannot do that again.
Those were Rooney's words after it was reported that Van Gaal plans on using the English icon as a striker this season in a 4-3-3 formation.
Such a role could allow Rooney to replicate the numbers he posted in 2009-10 and 2011-12, when he scored 34 goals in all competitions in each campaign, tearing apart backlines on a weekly basis. Even on the lone occasion he featured as a striker last season, a 3-0 win versus Hull City, Rooney found the back of the net, indicating that it really is his self-described best position.
Keep One Eye On: Phil Jones
Three Questions
- Assuming De Gea stays at United, can be continue to produce the performances that are instrumental in the club's bid to capture its 21st first Premier League?
- Will we see any recurrence of the 3-5-2 formation from last season that was widely unpopular among supporters of United?
- Will Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin be able to fill the void left by Di Maria?
Trivial Matters
- Manager: Louis van Gaal
- Nickname: The Red Devils
- Stadium: Old Trafford (Capacity: 75,731)